The Treaty of Tordesillas, not Treaty of Tortillas, was an agreement signed in 1494 between Spain and Portugal to divide the newly discovered lands outside Europe between them along a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands (off the west coast of Africa). The purpose of the treaty was to prevent conflict between the two countries over the exploration and colonization of new territories in the Americas. It aimed to establish a clear division of spheres of influence and control in order to avoid competing claims over the newly discovered lands.
